30 January 2013

There's not enough excitement in apartment living. You'd better believe Claire was preparing tp climb the cabinets to get the cat down.

It's no secret that our family loves living in the country. There are definitely benefits to living in town, but for us, they pale in comparison to the blessings a sliver of land and some ornery animals can offer.

The old barn at one of our favorite houses thus far.

So we wasted no time and two days after arriving in Indiana began hunting for an acreage.

The girls "helping" us look at houses by wildly running through them, climbing on EVERYTHING and playing hide-and-seek in every nook and cranny. That's important stuff to know!

28 January 2013

My sister served this at our farewell-from-Lincoln dinner and I have to say, I was a bit skeptical. Beans and pasta in a non-creamy soup didn't sound too appealing. I am happy to admit I was wrong. It was surprisingly delicious!

27 January 2013

There are many things that our farm cats, Snickers and Hercules are enjoying about living indoors this winter: there's always a warm bed, abundant human companionship and though they're going a little stir crazy not having vermin to hunt, they satisfy their need by stalking rogue pieces of litter the girls leave on the floor.

Still, it's not all perfect. The cats are used to being able to wander off on their own for some privacy when needed.

25 January 2013

...for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God...

Lately, it has been quite literal as our family has followed Jack around the midwest for schooling and internships. I am hoping though, that Indiana will be a bit more permanent. Of course, we'll terribly miss our friends and family in Iowa and Nebraska:

Fortunately, however, the girls and I love a good road trip. Jack entertains us with stories of Aladdin or Cinderella until...

...the girls pass out for a good portion of our drive:

And occasionally, we've been lucky enough to run into people we know and love along the way:

Having lunch with Nicole, one of Jack's classmates.

Other than that, the trip was uneventful, which is the way we prefer it.

I just couldn't bring myself to haul horses with three little kids, one of whom is still nursing.

Oh. And the two cats who also accompanied us in the truck. That may have driven Jack mad.

So, if our last night in Lincoln weren't busy enough, we packed up the horses and a good portion of the family came to say farewell. Before the sun went down, they were on the road again.

I don't know if it was all the training I put into Dancer or if she prefers ramps but she got right on the first time without any pushing, pulling or pleading from me. What a relief. All that mental preparation, trying to figure out the best way to get her heavy behind on the trailer ended up being unnecessary fretting.

It was a long trip but they made it safely to Indianapolis where they're staying with a few other horses, a herd of goats, a big lumbering dog, some chickens and very clever cats. They'll stay there until we can find an acreage of our own.

At their new (but temporary) home!

I hope finding a new place to rehomestead won't take long but for now, everybody's happy.

21 January 2013

This is a quick, healthy side and is dubbed "easy" because it's sort of a free for all when it comes to measuring ingredients. Plus, there's no need to set out the dressing--it's included in the layering.

20 January 2013

Yesterday, Evelyn wasn't feeling herself and Kate was fast asleep, leaving only Claire to accompany me on my daily visit to the horses.

Claire pulling the muck bucket for me. She did an excellent job, even though her hair was snagged with hay.

Despite her size and being at the tender age of two, she is determined to help where she can. After we put the horses in their stalls, in a commanding voice, she reminded me several times of their names:

We divvied out the hay and grain, picked manure from the stalls and swept. While waiting for the vet to come and write out their health papers before their next cross-country trip, we brushed our equine friends and shared treats.

Unlike most little kids, Claire is not intimidated by horses. I've got to keep an extra good eye on her!

It was wonderful to spend one-on-one time with my daughter doing something we both love: chores for our horses.

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together butter and peanut butter. Add sugars and cream together for several minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix until just combined. Fold in the oats. Use either parchment paper or cooking spray on baking pans. Scoop our small balls of dough and place on pan. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes. When slightly golden, remove and cool on a wire rack.To prepare the filling, cream together the butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar--it should be the consistency of thick paste, not runny. If it needs to be thinned, add a small about of water. If the filling needs to be thickened, add a small amount of powdered sugar. Fill the cookies after completely cooled and serve.

Welcome to the farm!

In Case You Didn't Already Know...

I'm a stay at home mother of four beautiful, clever girls, a handsome, daredevil boy, and wife to a brainy aerospace engineer who, ironically, barely has enough common sense to keep himself alive day to day. I've got an incurable disorder causing me to love all creatures of the animal kingdom and I've a 'To Do Before I Die' list that could easily circle the globe several times.